New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-10
MIR. BEECHER,s LITERARY WORK.

TIE "LIFE OF CHRIST" NEATLY CoMPLETED-TdE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY MAJOR PONDS BOOK.
Mr. Beecher, as is nov well known, had been e1-
ceedingly anxious for the last year two TO get at
and flush what he often spoke OF as the closing work
OF his e his Autobiography" and the second vol
ume OF his Lite OF Christ" He had made conti act
with Charles L. Webster e. Co., the publishers of
Grants Memoirs" to have both ready for the press
nv June 1858. The closing volume OF the Lite OF
Christ was be issued first. Part OF it is already
m type and revised Still more OF 1t is unrevised or in
copy. only a small portion II any, was LETT uncom-
peted at Mr. Beecbers death, and TOR that there
copous notes from which the text may easily be pie
pared The work on the book will he pushed now more
vigorously than ever and the two volumes the first
being rcssued) will he published together some time
this spring. Mr.. Beecher got S., 900 down for the
second volume His estate will have hall OF the profits
the sale
of the = Life of Christ not being completed and
polished If Mr. Beecber had lived he continued.
he would have had only sixty days longer according
to the contract to turn in all the copy and revise in
proof lie felt himself that he practically through
with the book We had even got to talking shout the
illustrations and arranging tor date OF publication.
He called in at the office here day last week and
we talked the whole matter over He had some charm
ing Palestine plates, he said, in old books at
home and wanted me to some Of them In the Illus
tratons. He had already corrected great pait OF the
proofs anc only delayed the la OF the copy because
there was great demand tor ii at Tho manu-
script part is In good condition. think though shall
not know certainly until l hear from Mrs. Beecher
about IT. 1 am confident that Mr. Bcechers notes-if
there part unnished-wiil be good enough to carry
the book through to the ending. Tue drst volume OF
the Lite of CHRISTI was published by JB Ford Co.
about Is? or 1872 have bought the OLD plates and
all the rights and shall issue the NO volumes now in
uniform binding The first volume Is ready now Tor
publication, OF course"
me mr. me en1S added wa, I'M,
more thau small fraction OF 1t out. He had collected
data, but everything in more or less crude state
The book was one Mr.. Beecher had PLAINLY set his
baarf yrf, He enfhusiaafic when he
talked about it. and promised that it would be great
success. 1t to tell the whole story of his inner
lite TO give inside history, he put it, OF himself
and all his actions He would 90 back TO his boyhOod
and trace hs education and his early experiences in
OF his later lite to be mingled his personal
views OF the men he met and how they affected him
The book Mr.. Beecher hoped, would take Its pace
among the great sutobiographies. After completing
it, it whispered among his friends he would retire
from the pulpit and spend the rest OF his lite quietly at
his country home 1t to be his last piece of liter
publsher's point OF view. Mr. Websssr thought, IT
would have proved the most successful. The sale
could scarcey have helped being enormous. IL was
possible now to have the data Mr.. Beecher had
collected ntten into Lite" But arrangements
had been made about that and the family would prob
ably not decide tor some tin G TO come.
= The article that Mr. Beeoher TO write for The
Conturys" War Series would have gone into the
Autobiography" Mr. Webster said. He had given
bis censent to have appear first in the magazine In
At the Office of The Century it was said Yesterday
that Mr. Beecher mad agreed to write an article On his
visi to lEneiand DUNG thes Civil War. 1t was to
his wonderful series Of speeches in the big cities
the questions at issue In the Rebellion and give
personal account OF his trying experiences in Liverpool
and elsewhere With the anti Northern English mobs
Dir. Beeoher had been in The Century office one day
last week and after talking the article had been
shcwn through the art department and ali the editorial
rooms He spoke with great interest to the editors
the War Series about his English tour and the pleas
ure he would have in writing it Nobody in the
Office knew anything further about the srticle No
copy had been in and word received about It,
: Major j. Is. Pond who knows moro than any one
else perl ape about Mr. Bsechers work Tor the last
two or months said yesterday that me was not
sure just how much Of the war article Mr. Beecher had
written. He had dozen pages OF II, perhaps. In
Mr.. Bsecner's study, in manuscript and there were
nsteA Possibly tor more than that But the article
was quite 1t conld not DO used. certainly
% Mr. Beecher's, IN its present sbape
Il has been suggested that Msjef Pond would finish
the article tor The Century" from Mr.. Beecher's
nyf toush vhss Mr.. Beecher bad written. Hs bad ali
sf4k Bese6Sfs spscehss Ia England during that tour